The Blog

Google Finally Rolls Out Custom URLs

After more than 12 months of testing through a select number of users, Google has finally hitched onto the bandwagon of allowing other Google+ users to get a custom URL. This seems a bit late considering that many social media outlets have been providing users with vanity URLs for the past years. We’re glad that they’ve finally decided to let the average Joe be identified by more than just a bunch of numbers. Hooray for finally getting to put a real name next to the domain name even if you don’t have celebrity status!

More than just being a trend that is a few years old, this change can be a big benefit for Plussers. Having a custom URL makes it easier for profiles to be linked or shared to one another, simply because it makes things easier to remember. Instead of trying to memorize a bunch of numbers, users can simply think of the name needed. And yes, business owners have a lot to be excited about as well because recall is the name of the game when it comes to marketing.

This early Christmas gift for Plussers was announced by Google a few days ago and is being made available throughout the week. The catch is this offer is only available to accounts that meet Google’s standards. To make the cut, your account must be at least 30 days old with a profile photo and at least 10 followers. Google+ users that qualify for a custom URL will get a notification banner at the top of their page (woot woot!) and an email too.

If you’re ready to claim this once limited opportunity, the first thing you’ll need to do is click on the “Get custom URL” button. Google will then display the URL’s that can be used, there may be one or more. By default the system assigns a vanity URL based on the profile name. This may be changed if it is the same as another person’s. In some cases Google will also ask you to add some numbers or letters to make it unique.

After picking out and selecting your URL, all you will need to do is click “Change URL”. If Google asks to verify your account, just type in the numbers that will be sent to you via SMS. The last step is to click “Confirm”. Remember that once you do this and it is approved, there’s no changing your URL, so be sure that you get everything right.

For Plussers who haven’t been given the chance to get a vanity URL, just sit back and relax. Google is rolling out these offers in waves, so you may just be the next lucky user.